Stock, Aitken and Waterman unveil blue plaque outside London ‘Hit Factory’

Pop producers Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman person received a bluish plaque extracurricular the “magical building” affectionately known arsenic “The Hit Factory” wherever they created countless popular anthems.

The trio penned galore of the enduring hits of the 1980s and 1990s from their erstwhile Southwark studio, wherever they helped to motorboat the careers of immoderate of music’s biggest stars including Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley and Bananarama.

The grounds producers, who achieved 13 UK fig 1 hits connected the authoritative singles chart, reunited to unveil the plaque astatine London’s Vine Yard Studios connected Wednesday.

“This gathering was a magical gathering to us,” Waterman said during his speech.

“There are truthful galore memories here… but the astir important happening was this gathering was special, and it’s antithetic present – this country is rather trendy.

“When we archetypal moved here, this was the worst country successful London.

“We utilized to person to usher the unit down determination astatine nighttime due to the fact that determination were dormant bodies… and that is not a joke, that is the truth.

“But it was location to us, and the section assemblage was fantastic.”

Waterman concluded his code saying: “The euphony manufacture has changed, but convey you for turning up.”

The authoritative Historic England plaque said the trio “achieved worldwide occurrence and acclaim moving from this gathering which became affectionately known arsenic ‘The Hit Factory'” betwixt 1984 and 1993.

Their biggest hits included Minogue’s I Should Be So Lucky, Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up, Bananarama’s Venus and Dead Or Alive’s You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).

Aitken told the PA quality agency: “There’s a batch of past successful Southwark and I wouldn’t person said it myself, but it was a tiny portion of past for the area, and surely a portion of past for popular euphony anyway.”

He said it was “hard work” but the trio had “some large strokes of luck connected the way, and a small spot of talent”.

Waterman added: “And we were near alone.

“The large happening astir this, it is isolated. We were connected the different broadside of the Thames, everything was northbound of the Thames.

“People similar Pete Tong would lone telephone successful connected the mode home. They near america alone.”

Among the guests astatine the unveiling was erstwhile BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who told PA that the trio “had that magic and came up with popular songs that entreaty to young people”.